This invention relates to the use of television, including electronic beams, by children and, more particularly, to the restriction of the viewing by a timing and power monitoring device which terminates the operation of a television set after a preset viewing interval.
Television is widely used by the general population, including both young and old. While some persons may view television relatively infrequently, others may view television many hours a day. Excessive viewing is often found among children.
Many parents are concerned by the amount of time that their children spend watching television. Their concern is well founded. Studies have shown that the average child will watch over 15,000 hours of television by high school graduation.
Experts tell us that excessive television viewing has two negative aspects. First, children are largely inactive during television viewing. Rather than getting fresh air and exercise and active outdoor play, studying, learning to socialize with others, reading, or engaging in arts and crafts, they sit passively in front of the television.
Secondly, parents are concerned with what their children watch. It has been estimated that, during those 15,000 hours of viewing while growing up, the child will witness over 18,000 murders. In recent years, television has come to rely more and more on sex and violence as standard fare. Experts warn of the dangers of this prolonged exposure to violence.
Parents do not want to completely eliminate television. Television does have some worthwhile programming. They do want to reduce the amount of television the child watches, and they want to control what the child watches. This is not an easy job. Parents usually do not even know how much time is spent watching television nor can they take the time to accurately monitor the viewing. If they did, they would likely be surprised to learn how much time is spent during the week. Parents, too often, as well, do not want to be the "bad guy" who enters the room and switches off the television or changes the channel. Children of divorced or working parents are often alone and unmonitored for much of their after-school viewing.
The inventor herein was a single parent with gradeschool children. As such, his children were what is known as "latch-key" children. Latch-key children are children who arrive home from school in the afternoon to an empty house. Such children typically take refuge in television, postponing homework and household chores.
The inventor herein did not want to completely forbid television either after school or at night. The ideal is to teach children to become responsible, selective viewers by giving them the experience of selecting of what they would watch in advance. This selection is forced when the available viewing time is limited.
Heretofore, the only devices available were conventional mechanical timers for limiting the viewing of television. Such devices would permit the television to be turned on during only selective hours, and had no provision for security to prevent unauthorized use. It is believed that the best solution would be a device which would place an overall viewing limit that the child could budget with selective viewing.
A device is needed, therefore, which will help parents control television viewing and, at the same time, help the child to learn to become a selective discriminating television viewer.